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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mark — a trace
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. lean — to bend
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. roll — a cake
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. roll — a list
  14. bore — to tire
  15. lean — thin
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bore — to drill
  20. mark — a grade
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bore — gave birth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com